The NFL’s best outside receivers, No. 2: Dez Bryant, Cowboys

Bryant has overcome his early-career inconsistency to become the gold standard for physical receivers.

July 18, 2016

Chalk up Bryant’s 2015 campaign as one to forget. He played in just nine games, hampered the entire time by the broken foot he suffered in Week 1. And when he was out there, the Cowboys’ superstar had a ragtag crop of quarterbacks slinging the ball his way in place of Tony Romo. The result: career lows for catches (31), yards (401) and touchdowns (three). A healthy Bryant, though, has overcome his early-career inconsistency to become the gold standard for physical receivers. He overwhelms defensive backs downfield and especially in the red zone—he led the NFL with 16 touchdown catches in 2014. Bryant also has become an improved blocker, to the point of being dominant when he latches on to an opponent. When people talk of a model “outsider receiver,” Bryant is often the image that comes to mind.

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